Peters



' rMPRovEMENT IN SKATES @tutti 'I `djijirr..

. V The Schedule referred to in these Letters Patent and making part of the same.

Be( it known that I, EBEN T. STARR, of the city,

county, and State of New York, have invented a new` and useful Improvement in-Skat'esg and I hereby dei clare that the following is affull, clear, and exact'description ofthe same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification. i i A d Theobject of this invention is to provide for the adjustment of the skate 1 upon vthe boot, either by clamps -or straps, and when by clamps, with less injury 1 to the soles of boots, and `also forthe attachment to l d, `such boots as are not provided with slotted heel-plates, of such skates as `are especially intended to be secured l to a plate permanently placed on the boot heel.

The invention consists, first, in a transverselyar ranged dovetailed guide-piece, secured to the-runner and sole-plate, and `carrying.; upon its `extremities ad-y f i jnsting-screws,'having centrally-piercedand concave heads, and supported within threaded lugs, whereby corresponding dovetailed sliders, having suitable clamping-jaws `and shoulders, may be readily adjusted and secured thereon, or reinovedeutirely, and replaced by similar sliders, with rings for straps.

" It also consists in thearraugement of' adjustable.

` clamps with curvilinear serrated jaws, whereby the skate may be more securely retained upon the boot,

and with less injury to the sole thereof than by the ordinary clamps It also consists inthe arrangement upon the heel- 4 plate `of an attaehable and removable heel-clamp, withr central locking-slot for insertion of the locking-button ofthe heel-plate of the skate, and with suitable eXca-i vation for reception of the head of said locking-but-- ,ton,andwith suitable set-screws for securing the same to the heel of the` boot, whereby the said skate may be adapted to boots not having a slotted heel-plate permanently inserted in the heel. VAnd it furthermore consistsin centrally-pierced yconcaved-headed l adjnstingscrews,` operated by a screwfdriver, suitably constructed, with a centrally-projecting pin for engaging `with the cavity and concavity ofthe screwhead,'

whereby'the engagement of 'the point of the screwdriver with the notch of the screw-head is more readily established and more easily retained, thereby render- `ing more convenient the operation of tightening the clamps when in a position inconvenient to be seen, as`

is especially the casewhenthe skate is being adjusted upon the footof females:V g

Figurel `represents a side view of a skate con structedaccording to myr improvement; .i Figure 2'isran linverted plan ofthe same; j v Figure 3 is a transverseA section, taken througiijlthe line w :c

Figure 4 is a plan view of the heel, illustrating the improvements relating thereto;

Figures 5 and v(i'represent end views of` different kinds of fastening-'arrangements for clamping or` strapv ping, which may beused in connection therewith; and

Figure 7 represents the centrally-pierced concavedheaded adj listing-screw and corresponding screw-driver,

illustrating their application to each other.

Similar letters of referenceVV indicate corresponding parts in the several figures'. Y

A represents the runner of the, skate, of ordinary form and construction,and4 secured to the toe and heel-plates BB'y by anysuitable means. n

'O is a dovetailed guide-piece, secured transversely upon the under side of the toe-plate B, by means lof screws or otherwise, and fitting astride or clamping the runnerA, by means of a bisected downward e'xtension, c, projecting centrally from the under side of ythe dovetailed guide-piece O, and which bisected extension, passing down nponeach side of the runner A,

`is secured thereto by a screw, g, or other suitable means.V Y l i A This dovetailed guide-piece O is provided at its ex tremities with adjusting-screws d d, ttingthrough threaded openings in lugs e e, at or nearr the ends of Vsaid guide-piece O.

Fitted to slide upon each end of thisdovetailed guide-piece O, are corresponding dovetailed sliders D,

having a reversed dovetailed formation for working over v, the dovetailed formation of the said guide-piece C.

The outer extremities of these sliders D are provided with upwardly-projecting clamping-jaws h, for

engagement with the sole of the boot, and with shoulders i i, on the under side thereof, for engaging with.

the heads ofthe set-screws d d.

These sliders D maybe removed, and replaced by' similar ones, having rings J iusteadof clamps, so that when it isdesirable, the skate may be secured to the boot by straps, 'and not by clamps.

The inner snrfaceof these jawsor clamps hare of A a curvilinear serrated formation, or are provided with circular corrugations, or ridges mso that the said 'cor-` rugations or ridges engage with the edge of the sole inall directions, thereby holding it more firmly and with less li'abilityl'of separatingor tearing ofi' the layers or thicknesses of leather composing the sole.

E is an attachableand'removable heelclamphav ing in its centre a slotted opening, m, for reception of a lockingfbuttou b, which projects upward from theV .central-portion of the' heel-plate B. f t

A suitable excavation, n,1s providedupon the up: per sideV of 'the said heel-clamp E, and around the opening m, forvreception of the .said button b, after- 1 passing through the opening m.

At or Anear the extremities of this heel-clamp E,

which is or may be of an elongated or other suitable' formation, vlugs f f are provided for reception' of setscrews k kwhich are fitted to work lengthwise of the said clamp E, and through threaded orifices Ainthe v-said lugs f, so that the points of the said screws k k *willpoint inwardly, for engaging with the heel of the boot upon opposite sides thereof at the `same time. f

Thesescrewsk k, as also the adjusting-screws d d, are intended to be'operated .hy a portable, or pocket `the screw-driver is placed screw-driver, o, which is provided with a cylindrical pin, or stud p, projecting from the central portion of the point thereof, and which, being guided by the concavity of the screw-heaetzenters into a corresponding hole, s, drilled into the centre of the screw-head, and midway the notch thereof, so that when the point of upon the screw-head, and fitted to the notch therein, aided by the said concavity of the head, the cylindrical projection p of the said point will enter the central. hole s in the screw-head, and prevent the end of the screw-driver from slipping out of the notch of the said screw.

The heads of the adjusting-screws d d are also in'- tended to act as a preventive to lateral sliding of the runner, by cutting into the surface of the ice when the skate is turned too far to thereby tending, in that direction, toward securing the wearer against falling. The driving-end of the screw-driver ois constructed of suitable width for entering the central locking-slot m, and is reduced a little way above, thereby forming a neck, V, so that upon the said end of the screwdriver being inserted into said slot m., it may be easily turned within said slot, whereby the upper cavity between the slotted heel-plate and the boot may be freed from all. obstructing substances.

In the adjustment of this skate upon the hoot, the heel-clamp E is first secured to the heel-plate B by passing the slotted opening m thereof over the locking-button b of the said heel-plate, which may be done by turning the heel-clamp E in a position lengthwise of the heel-plate B, as illustrated-by those parts of g. 4 represented in. red outline.

When the slot m is placed b, a quarter turn of the heel-clamp E serves to hold it securely to the `heel-plate B', whereupon the skate may be adjusted to the boot, and the adj listing-screws d d and k k tightened, by means of the screw-driver o, until the clamps D properly engage with the edge of the sole, while the inner extremities of the set-screws k k engage with the opposite sides of the heel. Or the heel-clamp E may first be secured to the heel of the boot, which is done by tightening the set-screws k k upon the opposite sides of the heel, as above described; after which the skate may be adjusted to the one side or the other,-

over the locking-button e9, co4 2 boot, after the usual manner of securing skates to boots provided with slotted plates permanently secured to the bottom of the heel, namely, by placing the heel-plate B' of the skate against Ythe bottom of the heel, and at right-angle to the foot, so that the locking-button b, coming against the central portion of the clamp E, will enter the slotted opening my.

AAfter the insertion of the button b within the slot m, the toe of the skate is tur'ned toward the toe of the boot, placing the -skate lengthwise ofthe foot, which locks the said button bin the said slot m, thereby securing the rear part .of the skate to the heel of the boot, afterwhich the front part or toe may be secured to the sole of the boot by clamps D, or straps suitably arranged to pass over the instep.

The set-screws k la of the heel-plate are constructed with concave inner\ends, having sharp-edges, and are thereby enabled to bite more securely upon the heel of the boot. A

What I claim as my invention, and desire to have secured by Letters Patent, is-

l. 'lhe dovetailed .guide-piece O, transversely arranged, and clamping the runner A, and secured to the sole-plate B of a skate, and constructed with lugs ating clamping-jaws or strap-rings, substantially as herein described.

2. The sliding-clamps D D, having jaws with curvilinear serrated inner surfaces, substantially as specified.

piece O, extending all across th .tially as herein specified. y

4. Theattachable and removable lleel-platevE, constructed independently of' the heel-plate of the skate and of the boot-heel, and arranged for operating substantially as herein set forth.

5. The centrally-pierced concave-headed adjustingscrews d d, k k, substantially as described, and for the purposes herein set forth.

foot-plate, substan- EBEN T. STARR.

Witnesses:

HENRY T. BROWN, A. LECLERC.

fj, for the reception of adjusting-screws d d, for operf V3. The combination of the clamps D D and guide-` 

